The festival had been a welcome distraction, but as Rowan sat in his lab the following evening, his thoughts were anything but lighthearted. The mystery of the machine's messages had been gnawing at him, and after the latest transmission - "You are not alone" - he knew he couldn't ignore it any longer.

He stared at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The data had stabilized again, but the signal was still there, lingering like a presence just waiting for him to make the next move.

A knock on the door broke his concentration. Oliver.

"Please tell me you ate something today and didn't just lock yourself in here all night," Oliver said, stepping inside with two takeout bags in hand. "I brought food. I know how you get."

Rowan smirked, pushing his chair back. "You act like I'd actually forget to eat."

Oliver just gave him a pointed look as he set the food down. "Yeah, because that hasn't happened before. So, what's the latest on the totally-not-creepy message from the unknown?"

Rowan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Still analyzing, but something weird happened. The message? It had a pattern. Like? an intentional sequence. Not random at all."

Oliver's brow furrowed. "So what, we're talking actual communication?"

Rowan nodded. "Exactly. And if I'm right, there's a response cycle happening. The signal isn't just sending us something - it's waiting for something back."

Oliver leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Okay, so what happens if we answer?"

Rowan hesitated. "That's the question, isn't it?"

Oliver gestured toward the screen. "Well? You always say the best way to figure something out is to experiment. So let's do it. Let's send a message back."

Rowan studied him for a long moment. The weight of what they were about to do settled in his chest - this wasn't just another experiment. This could change everything.

Finally, he took a deep breath and typed:

"Who are you?"

His finger hovered over the send button. Oliver met his gaze, nodding once. Rowan exhaled and pressed it.

For a moment, nothing happened. The screen flickered, the machine humming as if processing their words.

Then, a new message appeared.

"We have been watching."

Oliver exhaled sharply. "Okay. That's officially unsettling."

Rowan's pulse quickened. "Yeah. And now, we wait."

Rowan's blog had become a hub for science enthusiasts, attracting attention from all over. At first, it was just an outlet for his discoveries, a way to document his experiments, but now? People wanted to meet him in real life.

It was both thrilling and terrifying.

One particular message stood out in his inbox - someone named Avery Clarke, a fellow researcher who had been following Rowan's work closely and was eager to meet in person.

"Dude, you seriously have fans now?" Oliver teased, leaning against Rowan's desk as he scrolled through the messages. "What's next, a book deal? A reality show?"

Rowan rolled his eyes. "It's not like that. Avery is legit - into the same kind of research I am. They have ideas on energy systems and space anomalies that actually make sense."

Oliver crossed his arms. "And you're meeting them? Just like that?"

Rowan shrugged. "I figured, why not? If they're serious about science, it could be a great connection."

Oliver's jaw tightened slightly. "Right. A great connection."

Rowan caught the edge in his voice. "Are you? jealous?"

Oliver scoffed, too quickly. "Pfft, no. I just think you should be careful. Internet people can be weird."

Rowan smirked. "And you're not weird?"

Oliver huffed. "I'm the good kind of weird."

Despite Oliver's skepticism, Rowan set up the meeting with Avery at a local caf�. Avery turned out to be sharp, enthusiastic, and incredibly knowledgeable - and, to Oliver's dismay, charming.

Avery was tall and strikingly well-dressed, carrying an effortless confidence that made it clear they were used to making an impression. Their light brown eyes flickered with curiosity, and their dark, neatly styled hair gave them an almost polished look - like they had walked out of an academic conference rather than a casual caf� meeting. Their smile was easy, but there was a sharpness behind it, an intensity that mirrored Rowan's own focus when he got lost in an experiment.

As the three of them sat down, Rowan quickly found himself engaged in conversation with Avery, bouncing ideas off each other as if they had known each other for years.

"I read your theory on modular energy conversion," Avery said, stirring their coffee. "It's brilliant - there's so much potential in your application of it. Have you considered testing it under varying electromagnetic conditions?"

Rowan's eyes lit up. "That's actually something I've been thinking about. If we could stabilize the fluctuations, the system could be exponentially more efficient."

Oliver, who had been silent for most of this, cleared his throat. "Right. Science talk. Super fascinating."

Avery glanced at Oliver, amusement flickering in their gaze. "You're not into physics?"

Oliver shrugged. "Oh no, I love physics. I just don't like it stealing my best friend's attention."

Rowan shot Oliver a look. "Oliver."

Avery chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to take up too much of Rowan's time. But I do think his work is game-changing."

Oliver leaned back, arms crossed. "Yeah, well, I guess we'll see."

Rowan sighed. "Okay, you two, let's keep it civil."

Avery smirked, tilting their head. "Don't worry. I like a little competition."

Oliver arched a brow. "Oh, so that's what this is?"

Rowan buried his face in his hands. This was going to be interesting.